What will be in the free agency? Who will play in the Summer League? What to watch this offseason Chicago Bulls. – Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Bulls ended the 2021-22 season on a sad note when the Milwaukee Bucks knocked them out of the first playoff round in five games.

The next critical period is the recruitment and management of the list of Executive Vice President Arturas Cornishavas and the rest of the front office staff as the Bulls seek to earn their first post-season spot in five seasons.

Here are the main dates and topics for tracking the off-season “Bulls”.

• May 16-22: NBA Draft Harvester, Chicago
• May 17: NBA Draft Lottery, Chicago
• June 13: Deadline for early recall from the NBA Draft
• June 19: The last possible date for the NBA Finals
• June 23: NBA Draft, Barclays Center, New York
• June 29: Last day for teams to make contract decisions and qualifying offers free agents
• June 30: Negotiations with a free agency begin
• July 1: A moratorium begins; teams can enter into novice contracts with players, minimum and bilateral contracts
• July 7: The moratorium is coming to an end; teams can start making deals and signing players
• July 7-17: NBA Summer League, Las Vegas
• July 13: The last day to withdraw qualifying offers is a free agent
• August 31: Last day of giving up players

NBA Draft

The Bulls went on a tie-break after finishing with the same 46-36 record as the Minnesota Timberwolves. After winning the Bulls, they are 18th in the draft. This is their only choice this year.

The end of the season revealed two main areas that needed to be improved: size and shooting. These aren’t the problems that the Bulls can fix with a single attraction, but the front office is likely to address one of those weaknesses if it makes another addition to the young core.

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Last year’s draft paid off instantly for the Bulls, who selected Ayo Dosunma in the second round and lifted the homegrown guard to an unexpected starting role for most of the season.

The Bulls could add another Illinois graduate after central Kofi Cockburn announced on the draft, although they may be more suitable for the advanced – such as Walker Kessler of Auburn – available with an 18th pick.

Free Agency

This is an important period of free agency for the Bulls. Despite the fact that the front office is unlikely to make such a big swing as last year – picking up Demar Derozan, Lonce Bol and Alex Caruso – keeping the fields on the list will be key to reaching the first round next season.

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The Bulls ’bench has finished as one of the worst in the league this season, scoring just 20.6 points per game, and this lack of support has become an insurmountable weakness in the playoffs. Creating a more balanced bench will be crucial for the Bulls this summer.

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Meanwhile Zach Lavine will spend the summer considering proposals in his first offseason as an unlimited free agent. LaVin has clearly stated its intention to weigh all the possibilities before signing a new deal. If he leaves Chicago after five seasons, he will leave a hole in the Bulls list.

NBA Summer League

The Bulls have not determined how they will use the NBA Summer League, which will be held July 7-17 in Las Vegas, to prepare young players for the upcoming season. While it is to be expected that they will send to Las Vegas their draft pick and Windy City Bulls players, they have made no commitment to send Dosunma and Patrick Williams.

Both players have expressed enthusiasm for the game in Vegas this summer, but it will be a thoughtful decision for the Bulls. Replacing Bol and Caruso, Dosunmu played much longer than the Bulls had planned in their opening season, including 40 starts.

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Williams could use those minutes after missing most of his second season due to a wrist injury. But third-year players are not often called up to the summer league, and the level of competition may not be high enough to push power forward.

If any of the players really play in Vegas, Bulls fans will be able to look at much of the franchise’s future.

• Free agents: Zach Lavine (unlimited), Derrick Jones Jr. (unlimited), Tristan Thompson (unlimited), Troy Brown Jr. (unlimited), Matt Thomas (unlimited), Tyler Cook (unlimited, bilateral), Malcolm Hill (unlimited). – way)
• Contract option: Tony Bradley (player option)
• By contracts: Nikola Vučević (ending in 2023), Kobe White (2023), Giavonte Green (2023), Ayo Dosunmu (2023), Demar Derozan (2024), Patrick Williams (2024), Patrick Williams (2024), Mark Simanović (2024), Lonzo Ball (2025), Alex Caruso (2025)
• Extension rights: Vuchevich, bel